housing costshttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/taxonomy/term/8599/all
enYoung workers say they pay over 40 per cent of their salary in renthttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/21053
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<p>Experiences of young people facing unaffordable housing costs, insecure tenure and exploitation by private landlords was a topic at the TUC’s Big Youth Debate.</p>
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<p>The housing experiences of young people across the UK – who have told the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and Generation Rent that they face unaffordable housing costs, insecurity of tenure and exploitation by private landlords – was one of the topics debated on Saturday (15 November) in London at the TUC’s Big Youth Debate.</p>
<p>More than 2,300 young people responded to a request to share their housing experiences via a web questionnaire.</p>
<p>Half of respondents were renting (50 per cent), a quarter had bought their own home (26 per cent) and just under a quarter were living in someone else’s home (23 per cent) – most commonly that of their parents.</p>
<p>Of those respondents renting and in work, the average rent-to-salary ratio (the proportion of a person’s pay taken up by their rent) is 41 per cent, which for single earner households is well above the 33 per cent household income threshold for affordable housing recommended by the housing and homelessness charity Shelter. Fifty-three per cent of renter respondents said that they paid more than the 33 per cent affordability threshold.</p>
<p>Nearly a third of respondents who rent (31 per cent) had a rent increase in the last year, rising to 46 per cent in London.</p>
<p>The high cost of housing has forced many respondents to live with their parents or in a relative or friend’s home. Of those living in another person’s home, 44 per cent said they would like to rent but could not afford to.</p>
<p>The average mortgage-to-salary payment ratio (the proportion of a person’s pay taken up by their mortgage) for home-owning respondents was 38 per cent, slightly lower than the average rent-to-salary ratio found by the questionnaire. It suggests that for those able to raise a deposit, low interest rates are currently making mortgages cheaper than rents for many young people.</p>
<p>However, more than half of the home-owning respondents (59 per cent) had needed financial help from family or friends to buy their home. Sixty-four per cent said that the prospect of interest rate rises worries them.</p>
<p>As well as the high cost of housing, respondents highlighted problems of housing tenure insecurity and landlord exploitation. Ten per cent of private renting respondents said they have been threatened with eviction, and 39 per cent said a landlord had refused to repay their deposit or made unreasonable deductions.</p>
<p>TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Many young people today are having a much tougher time than their parents ever did. Secure well-paid jobs are hard to find, and without help from family few can get a start on the home ownership ladder.</p>
<p>“The message from the many young workers who told us about their housing experiences is that it’s unaffordable and insecure. This is yet another indication that the assumption that each generation will be a bit better off than the last has now come to an end.”</p>
<p>Alex Hilton, Director of Generation Rent, said: “Each week, the average young worker hands over two days of their wages to their landlord, leaving them with very little money to spend or save. As the number of renters grows, politicians must end this ballooning exploitation or face the anger of a generation.”</p>
<p>* Full results of the questionnaire can be found at <a href="http://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/Summary%20of%20TUC%20and%20Generation%20Rent%20questionnaire%20findings.pdf" title="http://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/Summary%20of%20TUC%20and%20Generation%20Rent%20questionnaire%20findings.pdf">http://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/Summary%20of%20TUC%20and%20Gen...</a></p>
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<!-- google_ad_section_end -->Economy and PoliticsNews Briefhousinghousing coststucUK Newsyoung peopleMon, 17 Nov 2014 09:03:11 +0000agency reporter21053 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukResearch shows 3.4 million households on financial 'cliff edge’ http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/20817
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<p>A new study from Shelter shows more than 3 million households across the UK to be living on a knife-edge where a small drop in income could cost them their home.</p>
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<p>More than 3 million households across the UK are living on a knife-edge where a small drop in income could cost them their home, new figures from the housing and homelessness charity Shelter revealed yesterday (9 Seotember)</p>
<p>The analysis of government data, made by the University of St Andrews, on behalf of Shelter, found that one in eight households in the UK are surviving on low incomes (Shelter defines this as an income of 60 per cent less than the median) while paying unaffordable housing costs (more than 30 per cent of income), putting them under huge financial pressure. </p>
<p>The research paints a picture of families pushed close to breaking point, says Shelter, with further statistics showing that more than one in 10 working families in England have had to sell possessions to cover their housing costs.</p>
<p>The University of St Andrews’ figures are based on the Department for Work and Pension’s Family Resources Survey from 2011/12, which covered 25,000 households across the UK. It also found that during that period, 625,000 households had already missed at least one essential household bill payment.</p>
<p>Campbell Robb, Shelter’s chief executive, said that too many families are living close to a financial cliff-edge: "Every day at Shelter we hear from people who, through no fault of their own, are finding it impossible to keep up with sky-high housing costs. It’s terrifying to think that many of us are resorting to avoiding bills or selling possessions in a desperate bid to make ends meet."</p>
<p>He concluded: "The government must make sure families who are already battling to keep their heads above water don’t slip through the growing holes in our safety net, and into a downward spiral which could result in the loss of their home."</p>
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<!-- google_ad_section_end -->Community and FamilyEconomy and PoliticsNews Briefcost of livinghousing costslow incomeshelterUK NewsWed, 10 Sep 2014 08:50:57 +0000staff writers20817 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukHousing costs force over a third of working parents to cut back on foodhttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/20782
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<p>More than one in three (37 per cent) working parents in England are having to cut back on buying food to be able to afford their rent or mortgage, new research from Shelter revealed yesterday.</p>
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<p>More than one in three (37 per cent) working parents in England are having to cut back on buying food to be able to afford their rent or mortgage, new research from Shelter revealed yesterday (29 August)</p>
<p>The YouGov poll for the housing and homelessness charity also found that one in ten parents had had to skip whole meals to meet their housing costs.</p>
<p>Shelter is warning that millions of working families, whose monthly budgets are already stretched to breaking point by high housing costs, are at serious risk of losing their home if they face any sudden cut in income or further price rises.</p>
<p>The research highlights the very real tough choices parents are having to make to stay in their homes. Over a million working parents said they had put off buying their children new shoes, and one in ten had put off buying new school uniforms to pay their rent or mortgage.</p>
<p>The government’s recent English Housing Survey shows that households are spending 28 per cent of weekly incomes just on their housing costs. For private renters, this went up to 40 per cent.</p>
<p>Campbell Robb, chief executive of Shelter, said: "No parent should be forced to choose between putting food on the table and paying for the roof over their children’s heads. These shocking figures show that millions of us are having to make these kinds of agonising choices every day.</p>
<p>"‘No matter how hard ordinary families work, with housing swallowing so much of their monthly budget, any drop in income can all too quickly put their home at serious risk. We desperately need the government to make sure there is a safety net that’s strong enough to catch families who fall on hard times, and stop them from going through the tragedy of losing their home."</p>
<p>Citizens Advice dealt with nearly 87,000 social housing rent arrears problems last year, up 10 per cent on 2012. Chief Executive Gillian Guy said: "Housing costs have left some families standing on a financial cliff edge. Working households that have already cut back on spending to get by could find themselves in the red if interest rates go up.</p>
<p>"Citizens Advice research shows three in five households are worried about the impact of rising bills this year, with over half forced to cut spending to balance the books. The competing pressures of sky-high childcare bills, rising energy costs and wages which are consistently below inflation, mean many people are struggling to pay for the roof over their head."</p>
<p>Gill Payne, Director of Policy and External Affairs at the National Housing Federation, said: "As house building fails to keep pace with population growth, the shortage is making housing increasingly unaffordable. The rising demand for homes and a lack of supply is also pushing private rents up so people are being forced to make difficult choices on which bills to pay and which essentials to go without. We need to build 250,000 homes every year to solve the country’s housing crisis within a generation." </p>
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<!-- google_ad_section_end -->Community and FamilyEconomy and PoliticsNews Briefcitizens advice bureauxcost of livinghousing costshousing crisisinflationlow paynational housing federationshelterUK NewsSat, 30 Aug 2014 15:14:35 +0000staff writers20782 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukMore than 4,100 households every week are at risk of losing their homehttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/20736
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<p>More than 215,000 households in England are at risk of eviction or repossession. This is the equivalent of 4,140 homes every week, new research reveals today</p>
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<p>More than 215,000 households in England are at risk of eviction or repossession. This is the equivalent of 4,140 homes every week, new research reveals today.(15 August)</p>
<p>The housing and homelessness charity Shelter based the research on Ministry of Justice figures from April 2013 to March 2014 which shows how many homeowners and private or social tenants received a possession notice. It reveals that 215,305 possession orders were issued during this period.</p>
<p>The research also identified areas around the country where the risk is particularly high. London boroughs dominate the list of councils issuing possession notices. The top 14 areas for possession notices are in London, with Newham, Barking and Dagenham the worst affected. Nottingham is the top hotspot outside the capital with one in every 54 homes at risk, followed by Peterborough with one in 60 homes and Salford with one in 60.</p>
<p>The findings come as housing costs are pushing more and more families to the brink. With finances stretched to breaking point, just one thing, like a sudden illness or job loss, can leave a family facing homelessness, says Shelter.</p>
<p>Campbell Robb, chief executive of Shelter, said: "These staggering figures show just how many families go through the trauma of learning that their home is at risk, every single week.</p>
<p>"People are hearing that the economy is recovering, but we’re seeing the reality that many families across the country are still battling to keep their heads above water and keep their homes. Just one thing such as a job loss or serious illness can tip any of us in to a downward spiral that puts our home at risk."</p>
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<!-- google_ad_section_end -->Community and FamilyEconomy and PoliticsNews Briefevictionshousing costsrepossessionsUK NewsFri, 15 Aug 2014 08:44:22 +0000staff writers20736 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukAlmost two million young adults still living with their parents, says Shelterhttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/20691
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<p>Research from the housing and homelessness charity Shelter found that 48 per cent of working 20 to 34 year olds live with their parents because they are unable to afford to rent or buy their own home.</p>
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<p>New research from the housing and homelessness charity Shelter has found that 48 per cent of working 20 to 34 year olds live with their parents because they are unable to afford to rent or buy their own home. Data from the last census shows a quarter of all 20 to 34 year old working adults in England – 1.97 million people – are currently living with their parents.</p>
<p>As the latest government figures show average house prices for first-time buyers in the UK have risen by 11.3 per cent in a year, Shelteris urging stronger action to help the 'clipped wing generation' fly the nest.</p>
<p>Areas with a high proportion of the ‘clipped wing generation’ include Castle Point in Essex where 45 per cent of working 20-34 year olds live with their parents; Knowsley in Merseyside at 42 per cent and Solihull where the figure is 38 per cent.</p>
<p>Campbell Robb, chief executive of Shelter, said: "The ‘clipped wing generation’ are finding themselves with no choice but to remain living with mum and dad well into adulthood. And those who aren’t lucky enough to have this option instead face a lifetime of unstable, expensive private renting."</p>
<p>Housing Minister Brandon Lewis claimed the government is "determined to ensure anyone who works hard and wants to get on the property ladder has the help they need to do so."</p>
<p>He said the Help to Buy scheme had assisted more than 35,000 people to get on the property ladder "with just a fraction of the deposit they would normally need." He added:"The scheme is also directly helping build new homes and increase housing supply, with private housebuilding up 34 per cent since the scheme's launch. On top of this, we're investing £1 billion through our Build to Rent scheme to build new homes specifically for private rent." </p>
<p>Campbell Robb said: "The government knows that the only way to turn the tide of the housing shortage is to fill the gap between the homes we have and the homes we need. Bolder action is needed to meet the demand for affordable homes and not inflate prices further. Politicians of all parties must now put stable homes for the next generation at the top of the agenda."</p>
<p>"Rather than pumping more money into schemes like Help to Buy, we need bolder action that will meet the demand for affordable homes and not inflate prices further. From helping small local builders find the finance they need, to investing in a new generation of part-rent, part-buy homes, the solutions to our housing shortage are there for the taking", he concluded.</p>
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<!-- google_ad_section_end -->Community and FamilyEconomy and PoliticsNews Briefaffordable housinghousing costsshelterUK Newsyoung peopleWed, 30 Jul 2014 09:56:45 +0000staff writers20691 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukFalling savings put millions at risk of repossessionhttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/20411
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<p>Millions of working families in the UK could not pay their rent or mortgage for more than a month if they lost their job, according to new figures from Shelter.</p>
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<p>Millions of working families in the UK could not pay their rent or mortgage for more than a month if they lost their job, according to new figures from the housing and homelessness charity Shelter.</p>
<p>A survey of working adults who pay rent or a mortgage found that, with little or no savings to fall back on, 3.8 million families could be just one pay cheque away from losing their home.</p>
<p>Worryingly, the research also found that more than a third of families would not be able to make their next rent or mortgage payment if they were to lose their job this month.</p>
<p>Mirroring Shelter’s research, the latest government figures on savings reveal that 15 million working age adults in the UK have no savings at all and that savers withdrew money from their accounts last year at the fastest rate for nearly four decades. </p>
<p>Shadow Housing Minister Emma Reynolds, said: "These figures demonstrate the cost-of-living crisis facing millions of families up and down the country.</p>
<p>"While this out-of-touch Government tries to claim everything is going well, working people are on average £1,600 a year worse off since the last election and millions of families worry about losing their homes."</p>
<p>One in 400 mortgaged homes was repossessed last year, amouning to 28,900 properties, according to the latest figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders. </p>
<p>Although repossessions have been falling since the peak of 48,900 in 2009, experts are concerned that the numbers could creep up again as rising costs erode the last of people's savings. </p>
<p>Liz Clare, a Shelter helpline advisor, said: "This research highlights how millions of us now find ourselves living on a financial knife-edge – month to month, pay cheque to pay cheque. Every day we see how just one piece of bad luck, like a sudden job loss or illness, could put the family home at risk.</p>
<p>"Sky-high housing costs and stagnating wages mean most of us don’t have enough money in the bank to rely on for long enough to get back on our feet."</p>
<p>Campbell Robb, Shelter’s chief executive, said: "No matter how hard ordinary families work, in today’s ‘knife-edge nation’ a drop in income can all too quickly put their home at serious risk. If you lose your job finding another one is hard enough, but without a stable place to live it’s almost impossible.</p>
<p>"The government must make sure the safety net is strong enough to stop families falling through the gaps, and going through the nightmare of losing their homes."</p>
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<!-- google_ad_section_end -->Community and FamilyEconomy and PoliticsNews Briefcost of livinghousing costsrepossessionssavingsUK NewsTue, 15 Apr 2014 10:56:30 +0000staff writers20411 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukOne in eleven face rent or mortgage trouble this January, says charityhttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/19830
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<p>One in eleven people in Britain fear they will not be able to afford their rent or mortgage at the end of this month, according to new research from Shelter.</p>
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<p>One in eleven people in Britain fear they will not be able to afford their rent or mortgage at the end of this month, according to new research from the housing and homelessness charity Shelter released today (3 January)</p>
<p>The research, based on a YouGov survey of over 4,000 British adults, shows household budgets across the country at breaking point, and suggests that millions of people will start the New Year worried about keeping their homes.</p>
<p>Families are the worst affected, with over 70 per cent of rent or mortgage payers with children currently struggling or falling behind with their payments, compared to 63 per cent of the general population.</p>
<p>Shelter warns that many people, feeling overwhelmed by money worries, will put off overdue bills until it’s too late, placing their homes at risk.</p>
<p>The findings revealed a worrying trend of people unable to face up to their financial difficulties, with nearly one in five saying they’ve not opened post if they thought it was a bill or late payment reminder.</p>
<p>With over one in three expecting to struggle with their rent or mortgage in 2014, the charity is urging anyone worried about their housing costs to get help as early as possible by visiting <a href="http://shelter.org.uk/advice" title="http://shelter.org.uk/advice">http://shelter.org.uk/advice</a>.</p>
<p>Shelter’s advisers regularly see cases where people do not ask for help until they reach crisis point. As it gets tougher to pay all the bills, people often feel overwhelmed and unsure where to turn, says the charity.</p>
<p>Liz Clare, a helpline adviser at Shelter, says: "We’re now seeing a stream of cases of families who’ve been unable to cope with mounting rent or mortgage bills and feel at breaking point."</p>
<p>She added: "We hear from people every day who are struggling, so you are not alone. Our message to anyone struggling to pay their rent or mortgage is that we’re on your side. Come to us for help early on for the best chance of keeping your home."</p>
<p>Campbell Robb, chief executive of Shelter, said: "It’s a worrying sign of the times that so many are starting the New Year worried about how they’ll pay their rent or mortgage in 2014. Unless they get help, some of the families struggling now could face the very real prospect of losing their home this year."</p>
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<!-- google_ad_section_end -->Community and FamilyEconomy and PoliticsNews Briefdebthousing costsmortgagesrentshelterUK NewsFri, 03 Jan 2014 10:41:03 +0000agency reporter19830 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukLose your job, lose your home? An open letter to Iain Duncan Smithhttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/19190
<p><a href="http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/19190" target="_blank">read more</a></p>Community and FamilyEconomy and PoliticsNews Briefbenefit cutshousinghousing costsIain Duncan SmithBlogWed, 09 Oct 2013 14:10:06 +0000Jill Segger19190 at http://www.ekklesia.co.uk'Knife-edge nation’ risk as protections for job losses are cut backhttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/19155
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<p>Rules to be introduced next month risk turning England into a ‘knife-edge nation’, where losing your job brings the immediate risk of losing your home, Shelter warns.</p>
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<p>New rules introduced next month risk turning England into a ‘knife-edge nation’, where losing your job brings the immediate risk of losing your home, Shelter warns.</p>
<p>As ordinary families struggle to make ends meet, the coming month will see the removal of a vital protection measure designed to help people get back on their feet after losing their jobs. Under the coming changes, financial help available to renters during the first three months after they lose their job will be dramatically reduced.</p>
<p>As a Shelter and YouGov poll shows that over half of working families are already struggling or falling behind with their rent or mortgage, Shelter is warning that this could lead to an increase in homelessness.</p>
<p>The research carries out for the houusing and homelessness charity identifies national hotspots where the risk is especially high: Manchester, Bristol, East London, Norwich and Newcastle have been identified as areas of serious concern.</p>
<p>One person feeling the strain is Abi Reilly, a teacher who lives in Reading with her husband and two small children. Abi said: "If either of us lost our jobs now, I don’t know how we’d afford to keep the roof over our heads. Looking for another job while dealing with the risk of losing our current home would be unbearable."</p>
<p>Shelter says the changes this autumn will mean that, in over a quarter of the country, a family paying a typical rent on an average three bedroom home would need to find an extra £100 a month or more as soon as they became unemployed, or risk losing their home.</p>
<p>Six in ten renters surveyed said that having to find up to £100 a month would make it impossible for them to pay their rent, while nearly two in five (38 per cent) said that they could not afford to find any extra money at all.</p>
<p>Campbell Robb, Chief Executive of Shelter, said: "Every day, Shelter sees people worried about what would happen to their family and their home if they fell on hard times. This research highlights the frightening reality that as support continues to be cut, losing your job is increasingly likely to mean losing your home.</p>
<p>"We want the government to keep the support available to families who face losing their homes. Finding another job is hard enough, but without a stable place to live it’s almost impossible to get back on your feet."</p>
<p>Shelter is calling on the public to ask Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith to save the measure at <a href="http://www.shelter.org.uk/safetynet">www.shelter.org.uk/safetynet"</a>.</p>
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<!-- google_ad_section_end -->Community and FamilyEconomy and PoliticsNews Briefcuts government cutshomelessnesshousing costsshelterUK NewsunemploymentMon, 30 Sep 2013 08:58:59 +0000agency reporter19155 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukNumber of families living in B&Bs at 10-year high in Englandhttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/19086
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<p>The number of homeless families living in emergency bed and breakfast accommodation is at its highest in nearly ten years, says Shelter.</p>
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<p>The number of homeless families living in emergency bed and breakfast accommodation is at its highest in nearly ten years, says the housing and homelessness charity Shelter.</p>
<p>The charity says 2,090 homeless families across England have been placed in B&amp;Bs after losing their homes, an eight per cent rise on the same period last year, and the highest since September 2003.</p>
<p>Overall homeless figures also rose by more than five per cent in the last year. This includes 8,790 families with children – the equivalent of one family losing their home every 15 minutes.</p>
<p>A Shelter poll found that six in every ten working families paying mortgage or rent are struggling with their payments. Campbell Robb, Shelter’s chief executive, said: "These figures are a wake-up call. Ordinary families are falling through the net and risk losing everything."</p>
<p>Shelter warns that more families will need help at the same time as the government are making cuts to the housing safety net, including restrictions on housing benefit and support for homeowners facing repossession.</p>
<p>The charity reports that it sees many families placed in unsuitable B&amp;B-style accommodation, often for weeks at a time. Of these, 43,090 included dependent children or a pregnant woman. The housing minister, Mark Prisk has said that homelessness remains lower than in 27 of the past 30 years and that councils have been given £470 million to tackle the problem.</p>
<p>However, Campbell Robb expressed concern about the shrinking safety net, saying: "People may be talking about green shoots, but every day our advisers speak to people who are terrified of what will happen to them because they don’t know how they will pay their rent or mortgage after a sudden drop in income.</p>
<p>‘We are asking the government to urgently build up the support available to families who face losing their homes, and to protect the safety net that gives families who fall on hard times the advice and support they need to rebuild their lives."</p>
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<!-- google_ad_section_end -->Community and FamilyEconomy and PoliticsNews Briefcuts government cutshomelessnesshousing costssheltertemporary accommodationUK NewsThu, 19 Sep 2013 17:27:59 +0000staff writers19086 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukCharity calls for a new generation of shared ownership for ‘forgotten families’http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/18981
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<p>The housing and homelessness charity Shelter says that England needs a massive expansion of shared ownership homes for a generation of "forgotten families".</p>
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<p>The housing and homelessness charity Shelter says that England needs a massive expansion of shared ownership homes for a generation of "forgotten families" – the squeezed middle priced out of home ownership and with no hope of social housing.</p>
<p>The new report, released on 29 August, shows a swathe of ‘squeezed middle’ families facing years of private renting, or trapped on the first rung of the property ladder. An estimated 1.8 million families fall into this group, yet the study shows that almost three-quarters of these families are priced out of the traditional market.</p>
<p>Even with the coming Help to Buy mortgage guarantees, 78 per ent of these families will still be unable to afford the repayments on a family-sized home, says Shelter. This means that the only option for many will be years in the insecure private rented sector, paying out dead money in rent.</p>
<p>In contrast, the report finds that mortgage repayments on a shared ownership home would be affordable for 95 per cent of families on low or middle incomes.</p>
<p>Shelter is calling for a major new housebuilding programme of shared ownership homes to revolutionise ownership for ‘forgotten families’. This would allow families to find an affordable home of their own, and provide a real alternative to the confusing ‘postcode lottery’ of existing small-scale schemes, or the overheated private rental market.</p>
<p>The report shows that investing £12 billion (less than one per cent of GDP) could build 600,000 new shared ownership homes – enough to give almost half of England’s private renting families the chance to own their own home. Business Secretary Vince Cable has called investing in homes like this "a no-brainer".</p>
<p>Kay Boycott, director of campaigns and policy at Shelter, said: "We need to see a new generation of shared ownership for the ordinary families locked out of social housing and priced out of home ownership. The reality is that soaring house prices mean that the traditional market is no longer working for ordinary people.</p>
<p>"Building the new shared ownership homes we desperately need is the only way to give thousands of families a stake in the stable home they want at a price they can afford."</p>
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<!-- google_ad_section_end -->Community and FamilyEconomy and PoliticsNews Briefhousinghousing costsshared ownershipsheltersocial housingUK NewsTue, 03 Sep 2013 10:03:09 +0000agency reporter18981 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukFirst-time buyers rely on 'Bank of Mum and Dad' for £2 billion a yearhttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/18670
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<p>Parents are paying out £2 billion every year to help their children get on the housing ladder, as more and more young people are priced out of a home of their own.</p>
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<p>Parents are paying out £2 billion every year to help their children get on the housing ladder, as more and more young people are priced out of a home of their own.</p>
<p>New analysis by NatCen Social Research for the housing and homelessness charity Shelter shows that the pressure on parents to help their children out with the money for a deposit is rising.</p>
<p>Since 2009, more than a quarter (27 per cent) of UK first-time buyers relied on help from their parents to raise a deposit – up from a fifth (17 per cent) in the previous four years.</p>
<p>The average contribution from parents who helped their children was £17,000 – more than half of the average deposit of £28,000. That means that parents are contributing around £2 billion to the housing market each year. This is almost double the amount that the Government spends on building affordable homes.</p>
<p>Shelter is warning that unless the Government takes action to address this country’s affordable homes shortage, the Bank of Mum and Dad is going to reach breaking point. One in five parents are eating into their retirement pot to help fund children’s deposits, and a quarter are cutting back on their own spending.</p>
<p>For young families who cannot rely on financial help from their parents, the average time spent saving up for a deposit is now over a decade. Unless something changes, then even those who could have relied on their parents in the past will begin to find that high house prices mean this parental assistance might not be enough.</p>
<p>Shelter argues that building more affordable homes is the way to tackle this crisis. The charity says this would not only help young people hoping to get on the housing ladder; it would also ease pressure on the overheated rental market and bring down housing costs for struggling families.</p>
<p>Campbell Robb, Shelter’s Chief Executive, said: "The fact that the Bank of Mum and Dad has to play such a central role in our housing market shows just how desperate the situation has become for a generation that’s priced out of a home of their own.</p>
<p>"Something is seriously wrong when people who work hard and save each month still have no hope of buying a home without significant financial support from their parents. And while parents want to help their children to get a start in life, with the growing squeeze on family budgets the reality is that the majority can’t afford to.</p>
<p>"Unless the Government starts building the affordable homes we so urgently need, having a home to call their own will be a distant dream for the next generation."</p>
<p>[Ekk/4]</p>
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<!-- google_ad_section_end -->Community and FamilyEconomy and PoliticsNews Briefaffordable housinghouse buildinghousing costsshelterUK governmentUK NewsFri, 26 Jul 2013 10:25:00 +0000agency reporter18670 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukHomelessness in England at a five-year highhttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/18504
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<p>Government figures released yesterday (6 June) show that the number of homeless households in England is the highest for five years.</p>
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<p>Government figures released yesterday (6 June) show that the number of homeless households in England has risen by six per cent over the past year, to the highest in five years.</p>
<p>The figures also show a 14 per cent rise in the number of people living in bed and breakfast accomodation. The housing and homelessness charity Shelter is warning that cuts to the housing safety net, added to the rising cost of housing, are already having a real impact.</p>
<p>Bed and breakfast accommodation often consists of a single room for an entire family a shared bathroom and no cooking facilities. It may be miles away from jobs and support networks. Though there is a legal requirement limiting this to six weeks for families, many have to stay in this situation for months.</p>
<p>The vast majority of the 760 cases currently in breach of the six-week limit are from boroughs in high housing cost areas of London and the south east.</p>
<p>In the borough of Westminster 95 homeless families have been in B&amp;Bs for longer than the legal limit. Other councils with high numbers of long stay B&amp;B households include Hounslow (75), Tower Hamlets (53), Croydon (49), Barking and Dagenham (49), and Hammersmith and Fulham (39).</p>
<p>While cuts to the housing safety net are already hitting families hard, there are more to come, including the overall benefit cap which is being implemented between April and September 2013.</p>
<p>Shelter says these cuts could leave councils unable to pay for temporary accommodation for homeless families. As a result, even more families could be placed in B&amp;B-style accommodation miles away from their jobs, schools and support networks.</p>
<p>Leslie Morphy, chief executive of Crisis, said: "This rising tide of homelessness is a direct result of cuts to housing benefit with more to come yet at a time when there is a chronic lack of affordable housing and rents are rising. Ministers can and must do more.</p>
<p>"... It makes more sense and is more cost-effective to help people stay in their homes than spend far more money on temporary accommodation or support once people become homeless. With more cuts to housing benefit kicking in we can sadly only expect things to get worse."</p>
<p>The housing minister Mark Prisk said yesterday that he had created a £2million fund to help councils currently breaching the six week law to meet their legal duty and bring their practice up to those of the best local authorities.</p>
<p>Homelessness charities say the official figures underestimate the total number of homeless people, particularly young single people living on the streets, in squats or 'sofa surfing' in friend's homes.</p>
<p>They say the biggest single cause of homelessness is the ending of private sector tenancies, accounting for one in four of the families accepted as homeless in England over the last 12 months.</p>
<p>[Ekk/4]</p>
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<!-- google_ad_section_end -->Community and FamilyEconomy and PoliticsNews Briefbenefit cutsbenefits caphomelessnesshousing costslocal authoritiestemporary accommodationUK NewsFri, 07 Jun 2013 08:06:08 +0000staff writers18504 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukSurge in demand for advice services as housing costs risehttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/18328
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<p>Shelter reports a surge in demand for advice services as the high cost of housing, living costs and cuts to housing support leave people struggling to pay for their homes.</p>
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<p>The housing and homelessness charity Shelter says it has seen a surge in demand for its advice services as the high cost of housing, rising living costs and cuts to housing support leave rising numbers of people struggling to pay for their homes.</p>
<p> Shelter reported a 40 per cent increase in the numbers of callers in England helped with housing costs, arrears and other debt issues during the last year, while in the last six months alone, visitors to the charity's online housing costs advice have doubled.</p>
<p>Shelter’s research reveals that people who are currently struggling to pay their rent or mortgage have few options for increasing their income: only 21 per cent said they or their partner are able to get extra hours at work, and just 26 per cent said they could get a second job.</p>
<p>Last month Shelter reported that almost a third of people have already cut back on food in order to pay housing costs.</p>
<p>With further benefit cuts beginning to hit, the charity says it is concerned that even more people will be left desperately trying to find the means to pay for their home.</p>
<p>Campbell Robb, Shelter’s Chief Executive said: "This research highlights the frightening lack of options available to people who are fighting to keep a roof over their head. Sadly, with little remaining of the housing safety net meant to support them in tough times, many can quickly find themselves at risk of losing their home.</p>
<p>"Every day we speak to people who are on the brink and have nowhere left to turn. But getting early support from a charity like Shelter can help families get back in control of their finances and prevent the downward spiral that can ultimately lead to homelessness.</p>
<p>Shelter said a chronic lack of affordable homes in the UK means the situation is set to get worse. The housing shortage has forced house prices up, which has had the knock-on effect of forcing potential homeowners into the expensive private rental sector.</p>
<p>Just 121,200 homes were built in England in 2010-11, according to government figures. This compares to 132,000 in 2000-01 and around 260,000 in the late 1960s. </p>
<p>The 2007 Housing Green Paper set a target of 240,000 new homes a year by 2016, including affordable homes for young families. A spokeswoman for the Department for Communities and Local Government said: "Ministers would argue that target was never going to be reached."</p>
<p>[Ekk/4]</p>
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<!-- google_ad_section_end -->Community and FamilyEconomy and PoliticsNews Briefaffordable housingbenefit cutscutshousing costsUK NewsTue, 23 Apr 2013 09:21:40 +0000staff writers18328 at http://www.ekklesia.co.ukPoll shows 8 million people 'one paycheque' away from losing their homehttp://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/18305
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<p>One in three people could not pay their rent or mortgage for more than a month if they lost their job, new figures from Shelter have revealed.</p>
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<p>One in three people could not pay their rent or mortgage for more than a month if they lost their job, new figures from the housing and homelessness charity Shelter have revealed.</p>
<p>Of those questioned in the YouGov survey published yesterday (11 April):</p>
<p> - 35 per cent, equivalent to 8.6 million people, could not pay their rent or mortgage from their savings for more than a month.<br />
- 18 per cent, equivalent to 4.4 million people, would not be able to pay their rent or mortgage at all if they were unable to secure a new job immediately.</p>
<p>The research reveals families with children are in the most precarious situation: 43 per cent could not pay for their home for more than a month, and nearly a quarter (23 per cent) could not meet their payments at all. </p>
<p>Unemployment in the UK rose by 7,000, to 2.52 million in the three months before January 2013, according to the Office for National Statistics.</p>
<p>In total, 3.9 million British families may be just one paycheque away from losing their family home.</p>
<p>As Government cuts take effect and the squeeze on family budgets means saving becomes ever harder, Shelter says it is is bracing itself for a surge in demand from people at risk of becoming homeless.</p>
<p>Campbell Robb, Chief Executive of Shelter said: "These figures paint an alarming picture of a nation where the buffer between having a home and potentially becoming homeless is a single paycheque.</p>
<p>"Millions are living on the edge of a crisis, only secure in their homes for a matter of weeks. At the same time, support for people who have lost their homes is being stripped away - it’s easy to see why every fifteen minutes, another family in England finds themselves homeless."</p>
<p>[Ekk/4]</p>
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<!-- google_ad_section_end -->Community and FamilyEconomy and PoliticsNews Briefbenefit cutscutshomelessnesshousing costsshelterUK NewsunemploymentFri, 12 Apr 2013 09:16:56 +0000staff writers18305 at http://www.ekklesia.co.uk